brotherhood

brotherhood

noun

Definition of BROTHERHOOD

1

a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest <they're a brotherhood of retired war veterans>

Synonyms board, brotherhood, chamber, club, college, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, guild (also gild), institute, institution, league, order, organization, society, sodality

Related Words collective, commune, community, cooperative; alliance, bloc, camp, coalition, partnership; body, cadre, group; circle, clan, clique, coterie, junta, junto, klatch (also klatsch), lot, set; crew, outfit, party, squad, team; branch, chapter, local; faithful, fold, membership; sisterhood, sorority; cabal, camarilla, camorra, confederacy, conspiracy; band, gang, ring; cartel, combine, syndicate

2

the body of people in a profession or field of activity <a family that has been part of the brotherhood of police officers for four generations>

Synonyms brotherhood, community, fellowship, fraternity, sodality, vocation

Related Words calling, profession; association, club, federation, guild (also gild), organization, society

3

the feeling of closeness and friendship that exists between companions <the brotherhood that existed between the medical missionaries and the villagers they served>

Synonyms brotherhood, camaraderie, community, company, comradery, comradeship, fellowship, society

Related Words amity, benevolence, cordiality, friendliness, friendship, goodwill, kindliness; civility, comity, concord, harmony, rapport; charity, generosity; affinity, compassion, empathy, sympathy; chumminess, familiarity, inseparability, intimacy, nearness; affection, devotion, fondness, love

Near Antonyms forlornness, loneliness, lonesomeness

4

kindly concern, interest, or support <in a display of brotherhood, other writers rushed to the defense of the jailed journalist>

Synonyms amity, benevolence, brotherhood, charity, cordiality, cordialness, fellowship, friendliness, friendship, gemütlichkeit, good-fellowship, kindliness, neighborliness

Related Words bonhomie, camaraderie, collegiality, community, companionship, company, comradeship; civility, comity, concord, harmony, rapport, rapprochement; charity, generosity; affinity, communion, empathy, kindness, sympathy, tolerance; altruism, philanthropy, selflessness, unselfishness

Near Antonyms disfavor, intolerance; animosity, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, hate, hatred, hostility, incivility, malice, rancor; belligerency, quarrelsomeness, querulousness

Antonyms ill will, malevolence, venom